The kangaroo is Australia’s national animal. But the marsupial is not always cute, but can also attack people. A man has even been killed down under.
PERTH – Australia has reportedly witnessed the first deadly kangaroo attack on a human since 1936. A 77-year-old man who kept the marsupial as a pet was attacked over the weekend and later died from his injuries, Australian broadcaster ABC reported.
Emergency services in Redmond south of Perth tried to help the injured. However, the kangaroo was aggressive and did not let the rescuers near the man. The animal was killed. Despite all rescue attempts, the man died. What triggered the attack was still unclear.
The last known fatal attack is said to have occurred in New South Wales more than 85 years ago. Kangaroo behavior expert Graeme Coulson said while kangaroo attacks are not uncommon, they are “very, very rarely fatal”. The animals mainly attack when they feel cornered.
Multiple kangaroo attacks
Earlier this year there were several attacks Down Under, but all of the victims survived. In April, a woman was attacked and seriously injured by a kangaroo while playing golf in Queensland. In March, a teenage girl was riding her moped in Victoria when a kangaroo suddenly jumped out of the woods and knocked her off the bike. The 14-year-old was hospitalized for 10 days with injuries. Also in March, a three-year-old girl was attacked by a kangaroo on her home property on the east coast.
The kangaroo is Australia’s national animal. There are four species of hopping marsupials: the red kangaroo, the eastern gray kangaroo, the western gray kangaroo, and the antelope kangaroo. dpa
